Dominican Rum Cluster aims to fight bogus booze and tobacco

Santo Domingo.- A group of business leaders supported by several government agencies and the Dominican Republic Industries Association (AIRD) on Tuesday launched the Dominican Rum Cluster, and decried the illicit practices in the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.

AIRD president Campos de Moya said to help increase domestic and foreign markets and project, promote and defend Dominican rum are the Cluster´s main objectives.

In that regard Presidency minister Gustavo Montalvo said 113,459 liters of liquors and 48.4 million cigarettes from illegal sources have been seized and destroyed in the country since June 2014. “We must work together to combat the illicit trade that creates serious harm to these industries and the whole country.”

The official said such crimes evade taxes, harm society and consumers because of a lack of quality of those products and retailers, because the distribution of such products carries the risk of drastically hurting reputable manufacturers with unfair competition.